Acanthus family

ABSTRACT

A new plant variety of the Acanthus family is related to the Fittonia Verschaffeltii argyroneura `Minima` and has comparably sized plant parts but is distinguished therefrom primarily by a variegated leaf blade that has a basic chlorophyllous field that is lighter than the chlorophyllous field of the parent `Minima` variety.

This invention relates to a new and distinct plant variety of theAcanthus family and which has been developed from a sport or budvariation that appeared on a plant specimen of the FittoniaVerschaffeltii argyroneura `Minima` variety. The specimen was undercultivation in a nursery in the vicinity of Apopka, Fla. at the time ofthe discovery and since then, the new variety has been asexuallyreproduced at the same nursery and by the propagation of stem cuttingstaken from the specimen.

Plant specimens of the `Minima` variety are related to the plantspecimens of the Fittonia Verschaffeltii argyroneura `Nerve plant`variety. Both of these varieties are characterized by a mosaic leafvenation pattern in a leaf blade that has a basic chlorophyllous fieldwhich is solid except for the discontinuities along the veins of theblade. In both varieties the color of the basic field is generallydarker than the basic chlorophyllous field of the new variety and theprinciple characteristic that distinguishes the `Minima` and the `Nerveplant` varieties is the fact that the former is substantially smaller insize than the latter.

One object of the invention has been to develop a new variety of theAcanthus family for the foliage plant market and which isdistinguishable from the known varieties of this family. This object hasbeen fully realized by the invention as will be apparent from thefollowing plant description contained herein and where it will be seenthat the new plant variety is distinguishable from its antecedents andknown related varieties by a growth habit that provides specimens whichhave plant parts that, in size, closely approach those of the `Minima`variety and which have a variegated leaf blade with the mosaic leafvenation pattern that is characteristic of the `Nerve plant` and`Minima` varieties and a basic chlorophyllous field that in color isvisibly lighter than the basic fields of the `Minima` and `Nerve plant`variety and normally dominated by a yellow green hue, the variegatedleaf blade being in particular distinguishable by marginally locatedachlorophyllous blotches or specks.

The accompanying drawing serve by color photographic means to illustratethe new variety, one sheet showing a single plant specimen of the newvariety while the other sheet provides a photographic close-up of theleaf blades of the new variety.

The following is a detailed description of the new variety and is basedon observations of well fertilized specimens which were grown in thecentral Florida area under approximately 80 percent shaded nurseryconditions and where temperatures are generally maintained in the rangefrom about 18° C. to about 30° C. during the winter months and fromabout 24° C. to about 36° C. during the summer months. The descriptionis further based on the observations of specimens that were 5-8 monthsin age as measured from propagation.

Except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance areobviously used, color terminology and color designations reported hereinare in accord with the ISCC-NBS Method of Designating Colors asdescribed in the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau ofStandards, Circular 553, entitled ISCC-NBS "Method of Designating Colorsand Dictionary of Colored Terms" with the color designations having beenderived through interpretation of Munsell Color Notations obtained bycomparing plant specimens with the color specimens in the current"Neighboring Hues Edition" of The Munsell Book of Color, published byMunsell Color Company, Inc. of Baltimore, Md., and to which the reportednotations (Munsell Hue, Munsell Value/Munsell Chroma) are referenced.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

Name: Fittonia Verschaffeltii argyroneura `Angel Snow`.

Origin: Bud variation or a sport that appeared on a specimen of thevariety known as Fittonia Verschaffeltii argyroneura `Minima`.

Classification:

A. Botanic.--Fittonia Verschaffeltii var. argyroneura E. Coem. Acanthusfamily (Acanthaceae).

B. Commercial.--Foliage plant.

Form: Herbaceous, tropical perennial evergreen with adventitious rootsystem.

Stem:

A. General.--Caulescent and ascending with decumbent tendencies andoccasional axillary branching at the nodes.

B. Surface. --(1) General: Scarred and pubescent with hyaline vestitureand four circumferentially spaced apart and longitudinally extendingcontinuous linear rows of hair. (2) Vestiture: Sericeous with strigosetendencies. (3) Row hairs: Velutinous, erect and colorless.

C. Texture.--Fleshy.

D. Shape.--Terete.

E. Size.--(1) Diameter: Commonly 1.5-3.0 mm. intermediate nodes atmaturity. (2) Internode length: Commonly 0.5-2.5 cm. between fullydeveloped nodes in mature specimens and usually shortening distally ofthe ground insertion.

F. Color.--(1) General: Generally uniform epidermal color withoccasional variation from one stem to the next. (2) Epidermis: Commonlymoderate yellow green (5 GY 7/6) (5 GY 6/6) (7.5 GY 7/6) (7.5 GY 6/6).

Leaves:

A. General.--Simple, incomplete, petiolate and extipulate. (1)Arrangement: Decussate. (2) Shape: (a) General -- Generally symmetricaland ovate with occasional elliptical tendencies. (b) Leaf apices --Usually obtuse to broadly rounded with occasional acute tendencies. (c)Leaf Bases -- Usually weakly cordate and occasionally showing truncate,oblique and obtuse tendencies. (d) Margins -- Entire and ciliate withundulate tendencies. (e) Posture -- 1. Transverse: Recurved. 2.Longitudinal: Revolute.

B. Petioles.--(1) Surface: (a) General -- Pubescent with hyalinevestiture and three circumferentially spaced apart and longitudinallyextending continuous linear rows of hairs that merge at the petioleinsertion with the adjacent rows on the stems. (b) Vestiture --Sericeous with strigose tendencies. (c) Row hairs -- Velutinous, erectand colorless. (2) Texture: Fleshy. (3) Shape: Elongated and generallyobovate to depressed obovate in cross section. (4) Size: (a) Diameter--Commonly 0.5-2 mm. intermediate insertion and blades at maturity. (b)Length (insertion to blade base) -- Commonly 7-20 mm. for mature leaves.(5) Color: (a) General -- Concolorous with stem. (b) Commonly moderateyellow green (5 GY 7/6) (5 GY 6/6) (7.5 GY 7/6) (7.5 GY 6/6).

C. Venation.--(1) General: Reticulate and pinnate with camptodromoustendencies, the midrib and lateral secondary veins being variouslyinterconnected by lateral tertiary veins. (2) Surface: (a) Upperepidermis -- 1. Midrib: [a] General -- Pubescent with hyaline vestitureand proximally located scattered velutinous hairs. [b] Vestiture --Sericeous and colorless. 2. Lateral veins: [a] General -- Pubescent withhyaline vestiture. [b] Vestiture -- Tomentose and colorless. (b) Lowerepidermis -- 1. Midrib: [a] General -- Pubescent with hyaline vestitureand proximally located linear rows of velutinous, erect hairs that mergewith the rows of hairs on the abaxial side of petiole. [b] Vestiture --Sericeous. 2. Lateral veins: [a] General -- Glaucous and pubescent withhyaline vestiture. [b] Vestiture -- Strigose and colorless withsericeous tendencies. (3) Texture: Fleshy. (4) Shape: (a) Midrib --Distally tapering and semiterete in cross section with the flattenedsurface being adaxially located so that the midrib is prominantly keeledat the abaxial side of the blade. (b) Lateral veins -- 1. Secondaryveins: Distally tapering and semiterete in cross section with theflattened surface being adaxially located so that the secondary veinsare prominently keeled at the abaxial side of the blade. 2. Tertiaryveins: Faintly ridged at abaxial side of blade. (5) Vein number: (a)Secondary veins -- Usually 5-9 at each side of midrib. (b) Tertiaryveins -- Numerous. (6) Color: (a) Midrib -- 1. General: Concolorous withpetiole at base of midrib and becoming achlorophyllous distally thereof.2. Adaxial side: Commonly moderate yellow green (5 GY 7/6) (5 GY 6/6)(7.5 GY 7/6) (7.5 GY 6/6) at proximal end and pale yellow green (10 Y9/2), yellowish white (10 Y 9/1) and/or white (near 7.5 Y 9.5/0) atdistal end. 3. Abaxial side: Same as adaxial side. (b) Lateral veins --Usually achlorophyllous on adaxial and abaxial sides and commonlyyellowish white (10 Y 9/1) and/or white (near 7.5 Y 9.5/0).

D. Leaf blades.--(1) General: Chartaceous between veins. (2) Surface:(a) Upper epidermis -- Scabrous and puberulent. (b) Lower epidermis --Glaucous, verruculose and sparingly strigose. (3) Texture: Chartaceous.(4) Size: (a) Length -- Usually 2.5-5 cm. at maturity. (b) Width(maximum) -- Usually 1.5-3 cm. at maturity. (5) Color: (a) General --Variegated upper epidermis with a basic chlorophyllous field that incolor is normally dominated by a yellow green hue and occasionally showsreversionary tendencies, with marginally located irregularachlorophyllous blotches and/or flecks that are usually bounded on oneor more sides by lateral leaf veins, the colors and patterns beingsomewhat obscured at the abaxial blade side by the translucent andglaucous nature of the lower epidermis. (b) Basic chlorophyllous field-- Normally moderate yellow green (5 GY 5/6) (5 GY 6/6) (5 GY 7/6) (5 GY6/4) (7.5 GY 5/6) (7.5 GY 6/6) (7.5 GY 5/4), strong yellow green (5 GY6/8) (5 GY 7/8) and/or grayish yellow green (7.5 GY 5/2) with moderateolive green (7.5 GY 3/4) (7.5 GY 4/4), dark grayish green (10 GY 3/4)and/or dark yellowish green (10 GY 4/4) in reversional area occurrences.(c) Achlorophyllous blotches and flecks -- Commonly pale yellow (5 Y9/4) (near 7.5 Y 9/2), light yellow (5 Y 9/6), yellowish white (5 Y 9/2)(near 7.5 Y 9/2), light greenish yellow (7.5 Y 9/6) (near 10 Y 8/6),pale greenish yellow ( 7.5 Y 9/4) (near 10 Y 9/4), moderate greenishyellow (10 Y 8/6), pale yellow green (10 Y 9/2) (2.5 GY 9/2) (5 GY 9/2)and/or light yellow green (2.5 GY 8/6) (2.5 GY 9/6) (2.5 GY 9/4) (5 GY9/4) (5 GY 8/6) (5 GY 8/4).

Inflorescences: None have been known to appear since discovery of thevariety.

The following is a general description of a specimen of the new plantvariety which was grown in a nursery at Apopka, Fla. from a singlecutting having two nodes set horizontal in an industrial standard 21/2inch growing pot, the description being taken in August.

Age of specimen: 5 months from propagation.

Number of ascending stems: 8.

A. Stems.--(1) Diameter -- Varies from about 2.0 to 2.5 mm. (2)Internode length -- Varies between 1.0 and 2.0 cm. (3) Epidermis color-- Moderate yellow green (5 GY 7/6) (5 GY 6/6).

B. Leaves.--(1) Petioles -- (a) Diameter: Varies between 1 and 2 mm. (b)Length: Varies between 12 and 17 mm. (c) Color: Moderate yellow green (5GY 7/6) (7.5 GY 7/6). (2) veins -- (a) Midrib color: Moderate yellowgreen (5 GY 7/6) (5 GY 6/6) (7.5 GY 7/6) near petiole and pale yellowgreen (10 Y 9/2), and yellowish white (10 Y 9/1) at distal end. (b)Lateral vein number: 6-7 secondary veins at each side of midrib andspaced apart at 5-7 mm. intervals with tertiary veins being spaced apartin the range of about 1.5-4 mm. (c) Lateral vein color: Yellowish white(10 Y 9/1) (3) Leaf blades -- (a) Length: 2.5-4 cm. (b) Width (maximum):2.0-2.5 cm. (c) Color: 1. Basic chlorophyllous field -- Moderate yellowgreen (5 GY 5/6 ) (5 GY 6/6) (7.5 GY 5/6) and strong yellow green (5 GY6/8). 2. Achlorophyllous blotches and flecks -- Light yellow (5 Y 9/6),yellowish white (5 Y 9/2), light greenish yellow (7.5 Y 9/6), moderategreenish yellow (10 Y 8/6) and light yellow green (2.5 GY 9/4) (5 GY9/4).

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct variety of the Acanthus familysubstantially as herein shown and described.